The present invention relates generally to agricultural tillage and seedbed preparation equipment, and more particularly to an improved soil conditioning rotary reel in combination with a primary tillage system.
Many fall tillage operations that manage residue and reduce soil compaction to improve soil tilth, such as combination deep ripper tools, can create a problem in the spring by leaving large soil clods and holes on the soil surface from the ripper shanks and points. This often leads to difficult-to-manage soils in the spring that can then produce poor seedbed conditions at planting, resulting in yield loss due to poor germination and non-uniform plant stands.
In dry land farming environments it is common to use several types of rolling packers and conditioners in conjunction with primary tillage applications to condition the seedbed zone as well as firm the soil to prevent soil blowing, while maintaining soil moisture ahead of planting. However, these packers and conditioners are not generally used for fall tillage with spring planting in wetter environments due to the difference in soil type, soil moisture, and over-wintering affects.
Packers and traditional soil conditioners used in the spring in a secondary tillage application are not a proper fit for providing soil conditioning in a primary tillage application. Generally, these secondary tillage soil conditioners rely on a xe2x80x9croller effectxe2x80x9d to crush sun-baked clods into an almost fine powdery condition, which is acceptable in the seed zone at planting time; however, using these tools in a fall primary tillage application is generally discouraged because the soil is frequently wetter and thus these tools essentially repack soil that has just been loosened for air and water infiltration. Likewise, they tend to make the soil aggregate size too small and fine for the over-wintering process and will likely lead to crusting, runoff, and even blowing.
As used herein, xe2x80x9cprimary tillagexe2x80x9d refers to tillage where the ground working is deeper and the soil is turned, as, for example, with moldboard and chisel plows, at depths greater than four inches. xe2x80x9cPrimary tillagexe2x80x9d is distinguished, for example, from secondary tillage and various cultivation techniques such as disks, xe2x80x9cspiderxe2x80x9d wheels and sweeps, as well as combinations of devices that normally cultivate the surface to nominal depths of two inches, but as deep as three to four inches.
The concept of rotary reels (or basket rollers, or packers, as they are sometimes called) to condition the soil and break clods is, of course, not new; however, the present invention sets forth several unique design features that co-operate to optimize the capabilities of the rotary reel and to achieve the improved results mentioned.
It would be quite advantageous to overcome the problems identified above in a manner as described in the immediately preceding paragraph, and to do so without increasing the workload of the farmer.
The present invention is designed to improve soil conditions in the fall that translate to spring field conditions that require less seedbed preparation before planting, thereby leading to improved yields by providing better seed-to-soil contact and a more timely planting window for farmers. The unique 6-bar flat-edge rotary reel design breaks clods and moves soil into holes, reduces air pockets and flattens residue to level the soil surface without firming, unlike other known soil conditioners and packers. This fall soil conditioning can be accomplished as part of a one-pass operation when used in conjunction with combination disk rippers or other primary tillage tools, or as a stand-alone separate tillage operation after primary tillage is completed.
The novel rotary reel disclosed is intended to be used in the production of corn, soybeans, and small grains in geographic areas with mulch-till farming practices where soil aggregates do not adequately break down due to over-wintering and need mechanical manipulation to provide a satisfactory seedbed in the spring.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a primary tillage soil conditioner for soil environment conditions that are typically moist. The rotary reel herein described is intended to properly size the soil aggregate in the seedbed zone in the fall while not re-compacting the soil loosening achieved by the primary tillage. The rotary reel has an optimized reel diameter, flat bar angle of attack, spacing between adjacent flat bars, and machine weight equating to the down pressure applied by the flat bar to cut and condition soil clods. The overall design is further intended to be able to run in the widest operating conditions possible during typical fall primary tillage application, without plugging or packing full of soil.
It is a further objective of the instant invention to provide a primary tillage soil conditioner rotary reel that addresses the performance requirement differences due to soil types and moisture conditions that other soil conditioners do not address. The implement optimizes the number of bars, shape and thickness of the bars, edge design of the bars, radial and tangential angle of attack of the bars to the soil, mounting pattern of the bars (helix verses straight) and the weight of the bars and reel to meet both agronomic and customer-driven performance goals. Agronomic parameters are achieved while maintaining the widest window of operation for the customer in both rocky and wet soil conditions.
It is an even still further objective of the instant invention to provide an improved rotary reel useful in multiple applications. For instance, the reel may be used in strip-till or indexed environments, such as, for example, by the system shown in FIG. 1, in a broadcast environment where the reels essential cover the entire width of the implement, in pull-type or self-propelled implements, in a tillage and soil preparation system, or in a separate implement that includes only the rotary reel(s).
As generally stated above, the present invention is intended to be used either as a stand-alone machine or in conjunction with a primary tillage tool, such as a combination deep ripper, to address rough, uneven soil conditions in the fall. As the soil and residue passes through the machine, the flat bars of the rotary reel cut and break large clods into smaller clods averaging about two to four inches in diameter. This clod size is large enough to protect soil particles from erosion but small enough that they become pliable and easily broken in the spring after over-wintering. In addition, the reel knocks soil off root crowns and moves clods and soil into holes and thereby creates a more level and uniform soil surface.
The present invention also knocks down and conditions residue, accelerating the decomposition process while not burying the residue, but leaving it on the surface. This helps to hold small soil particles in place and prevent them from washing or blowing away. This complete process provides a loose, healthy soil with evenly distributed residue and soil particles suitable for spring cultivation and planting.
These and other objectives are obtained by providing a primary tillage system in combination with a soil conditioner rotary reel that addresses the performance requirement differences due to soil types and moisture conditions that other tillage systems do not address. The combination provides a one-pass seedbed preparation process of a superior quality to that of any heretofore known one-pass systems through the improved performance of the soil conditioning rotary reel. The rotary reel includes a plurality of flat bars attached to support plates in a symmetrical helix arrangement that provide a thorough breakup of clods not heretofore possible.